Steelers could lose another assistant coach; Wilson wanted out

Defensive assistant Jerry Olsavsky, who played nine seasons for the Steelers, will interview with the Buffalo Bills to be their linebackers coach.

Olsavksy has been a defensive assistant for four seasons with the Steelers and is looking to become a full-time position coach.

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Kirby Wilson was not being forced out as the Steelers running backs coach, even though it might appear that way after he made a lateral move to join the Minnesota Vikings.

Wilson was seeking to leave of his own volition and was given permission right after the season from Coach Mike Tomlin to talk with other NFL teams.

There are several explanations for Wilson’s departure, but the struggles of the running game for most of the season do not appear to be a factor.

Rather, Wilson wanted to move on for several reasons, chief among them being that he wanted to be an offensive coordinator and he didn’t see that happening with the Steelers. Also, several sources said Wilson did not always get along with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Wilson becomes the third offensive coach in the past two years to leave the Steelers for a job that might not appear to be an upward move. Offensive line coach Sean Kugler left to become head coach at his alma mater, Texas-El Paso, which was 2-10 this season. And wide receiver coach Scotty Montgomery left to become offensive coordinator at Duke, his alma mater.

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While the rest of the coaching staff isn’t scheduled to return to the office until the day after the Super Bowl, new offensive line coach Mike Munchak is already at the team’s South Side facility getting familiar with the offensive playbook and terminology.

Munchak’s hiring appears to have everyone excited, even other members of the coaching staff who have made a point to stop in and meet their new assistant.

One player who is glad to see Munchak: Center Fernando Velasco, who played for him with the Titans, even though it was Munchak who had to release Velasco for salary cap reasons before the 2013 season.